Chocolate Self- Saucing Pudding

I'm not a real fan of puddings, but this one i liked..
The recipe calls for cocoa powder but last minute after i had already made the base i realized i didn't have any for the sauce, so... i sprinkled about half a cup of choc chips over the top and then poured the boiling water over the top.. and it was surprisingly really good! Sometimes mistakes turn out better than the recipe ;) which then makes them your own. Give it a go..

Ingredients:
     1 cup self-raising flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

80g butter, melted, cooled

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Sauce :

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

1 1/4 cups boiling water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease an 8-cup ( or close) capacity ovenproof baking dish. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.
2. Combine butter, milk and egg in a jug/bowl. Slowly add to flour mixture, whisking until well combined and smooth. Spoon into baking dish. Smooth top.
3. Make sauce: Sprinkle combined sugar and cocoa over pudding.
4. Slowly pour boiling water over the back of a large metal spoon to cover pudding. Place dish onto a baking tray. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until pudding bounces back when pressed gently in centre.

Notes: The The spoon prevents the water from disturbing the brown sugar.

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie

Hey again,
This slice was raved about in our house, 5 out of 5 stars. Its definitely going in the family recipe book.
Its got the texture of a brownie and the great taste of a cheesecake.
Give it a go :)

Ingredients :

• Melted butter, to grease
• 150g butter, chopped
• 300g good-quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 65g (1/4 cup) sour cream
• 1 x 250g pkt cream cheese, at room temperature

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a square 20cm cake pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base with baking paper.
2. Combine the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
3. Whisk 2 of the eggs in a small bowl. Add whisked eggs and 2/3 cup of the sugar to the chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. Add the flour and sour cream and stir until well combined.
4. Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese and remaining sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add the remaining egg and beat until just combined.
5. Spoon chocolate and cream cheese mixtures, alternately, over base of pan. Use a skewer to swirl to create a marble effect. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 1 hour to cool. Cut into squares serve and enjoy.

Lemon Delicious slice

Hey guys,
This slice is great for the lemon lovers and loved by the ones who aren't.
Its not to tart, so has the right balance of sweetness.
Give it a go :)

Makes:24 pieces

Ingredients :

• 150g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 1/3 cups plain flour
• Icing sugar mixture, to serve

Lemon topping :

• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 1 1/3 cups caster sugar
• 2/3 cup lemon juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 16cm x 26cm slice pan. Line with baking paper. Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave  for 1 minute or until melted. Set aside to cool. Stir in vanilla and sugar. Sift flours over butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a soft dough forms. Transfer to prepared pan. Press into pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Set aside to cool.
2. Make topping Whisk eggs, lemon rind, flour and sugar together until smooth. Add lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Pour over base. Bake for 15 minutes or until just set. Cool completely in pan. Cut into pieces. Serve and enjoy :)

Choc- chip cookies

Hey everyone!,
this cookie recipe is favourite, they were gone before i could take a photo.
If you take them out just before their golden, their chewing in the centre, perfect :)
Give it a go.

Makes: 25

Ingredients:

• 125g Unsalted Butter, softened
• 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) Self Raising Flour
• 190g (1 cup)  Dark Choc Bits

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 3 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the butter, brown sugar, caster sugar, egg and vanilla in the bowl of a electric mixer and process until the mixture is creamy. 
3.  Sift in the flour. Add the choc bits. Use a wooden spoon to mix until well combined.
4. Place dessertspoonfuls of the mixture, about 4cm apart, on the lined trays. Bake in oven for 12 minutes or until golden. Set aside on the trays for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Jam Drops

Hi All,
These biscuits are a bit hit in our house, i made them today and was going to take a photo but by the time i went and got the camera, there were none left. According to my dad their better than the ones you get at the bakery, They melt in your mouth.
Give it a go :)

Makes:

about 40

Ingredients :

• 125g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup (35g) custard powder
• 1/4 cup (90g) raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Add the flour and custard powder and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
2. Use lightly floured hands to roll 1 1/2 teaspoons of mixture into small balls. Place on the lined trays, allowing room for spreading. Use a lightly floured finger or the end of a wooden spoon to make an hole in the centre of each ball. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of jam into the centre of each biscuit.
3. Bake in preheated oven,  for 15 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside on trays to cool completely.
4. Enjoy! :D

Chilli Choc Cupcakes

Hey everyone, An unusual combination but tastes fantastic. These cupcakes are great for the chilli fans who walk amongst us. Their actually quite mild so
if you like it a little more spicy add one more teaspoon of chilli. Give it a go :)

Makes: 12
Ingredients:
*2 small fresh chillies or 1 teaspoon dry red chilli flakes.
* 3 eggs
*200g of butter
*1 cup caster sugar
*1/2 cup milk
*1 1/2 cups SR flour
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*100g dark chocolate pieces
* 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Topping:
*100g dark chocolate
*20g butter
*1/3 cup thickened cream

Method:
1. preheat the oven to 160'c. Line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake cases. Remove the seeds from chillies, then place the chillies ( or dry chilli flakes) in a cup with 1/4 cup of hot water (not boiling) to soak for 10 minutes. In a medium sized bowl , lightly beat the eggs. Add butter and sugar , mix until light and fluffy.
2. Add milk, flour and vanilla, stir to combine.Add the dark chocolate cocoa powder and 1/2 the chilli water and combine. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
3. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to touch. Allow to cool completely before icing.

Topping:
1. Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat. As the mixture begins to melt , reduce heat to low, stirring constantly, until melted.
2. Remove from heat, add cream, remaining chilli water and stir. Rest for 10 minutes: the mixture will be firm and velvety in consistency. You can either just spread the icing on with a knife like i did or you can use a piping bag. You could also put a chilli on top for decoration if you prefer.
Happy Cupcaking :)

Valentine's day cupcakes

Hey all, These are my design for my valentines day cupcakes. Their made with just normal buttercream icing and wilton's red food colouring. Hope you like them :)

My Pets!

 Hey all, I've been meaning to post this for a while, i thought I'd show you my wonderful pets!

First off this is Butch >> hes a eight year old Staffy x Border collie, we rescued him when he was 5 weeks old from a guy who wasn't looking after the puppies very well. When we got him he was flea infested and had worms. He has the most gentle nature, i was going to say he wouldn't hurt a fly... but he catches them for us ;) . Hes always got a big smile on his face and he absolutely Looooves tennis balls and squeakers. You always hear the constant thud of a tennis ball being dropped in front of you.

 Next is Lady, Shes turning two in May. Shes a English staffy. We were going to breed with Butch and her but after her first heat cycle, we changed our mind. None of us got any sleep for the first two weeks, Lady was fine.. it was Butch who was the annoying one.
He cried outside the laundry door where lady was and once he started ,so did she. We tried making barricades and fences to stop him from doing it but he knocked them over. So we booked him into the kennel for a week. Over that time he lost so much weight because he refused to eat. We all thought, "OK, that's it"

Next is Precious, Shes three. Shes the kitten of another cat we used to have. But we had to give her mother away to a good home because she was very dirty. Precious isn't aloud in the house, shes taken on her mother's role but loves cuddles and dives into your hand as soon as you offer it.  The next one is Hidie,shes twelve. We think shes a spotted mist. Shes a lovely cat. We also have another cat called Sparkles, shes 8 and a Burmese x and very talkative, shes almost like a dog. She demands her pat and food in the morning and if you dare move or change something, shes has to check it out.